I Left Everything I’ve Ever Known…And It Was The Best Decision I Ever Made

I packed my bags and up and left New York City five months ago and headed west to Columbia, Missouri: approximately 1,071 miles from the place I’ve called home for the past 20 years. It is, this is, the first time in my life I can not go home whenever I want. Leaving the East Coast meant leaving my comfort zone. However, my decision ultimately led me to where I am today. To everyone who is scared to take the risk, or chose not to take the risk yet, this one is for you. Additionally, for every single person I have a conversation with at a party who inevitably asks why I would ever leave New York City, this one is for you too. These are the reasons I left everything I’ve ever known to come to the University of Missouri, and why it was the best decision I ever made.

Fear can propel you towards great things.

Mizzou has 33,000 people, and not a single one is above being scared. However, there’s the fear of danger, and then there’s the fear of the unknown, and that fear of the unknown can be beautiful. That foretaste of the unknown that can keep you up at night thinking, that can riddle your bones with anticipation, almost always ends up leading to something amazing. Think of all those times you've said screw it and counted to three. Those times you took a risk you would always regret had you not. Taking the risk of leaving home to go far away is just indulging in that fear of the unknown deeper than ever before.

You might just find that you don’t have to be home to find your home.

I knew, before choosing Mizzou, that I would never find a school like it close by me at home. Journalism was my ultimate driving force in my decision, but furthermore was seeking out that quintessential college experience. I was terrified I wouldn't feel as though I belonged, what with being an East coast girl with what I now have found out is a “New York accent” (I stand by my claim that you all have accents and I sound normal). But you are one amongst the girl in the next residence hall from Pakistan, the guy in your English class from China, or that girl who grew up 10 minutes away from campus. Being in such a different place from home, I’ve met people from every walk of life, and it has humbled me in the most brilliant of ways. I have found that no matter where you come from or where you’re going, leaving everything you've ever known shows you how truly young and naive you are.

Eventually, your best friends will be your cure for your homesickness, and the comfort of your room will be your sigh of relief after a long day. Coming back to my room in the evening to my roommate and suite-mates, grabbing a smoothie from the fridge, and turning on my favorite playlist, feels like home in every shape, dimension, twist, turn, and meaning of it. Places will become familiar, and people will become friends, and a school will become a home. At the end of the day, I leave my building everyday to walk across a campus of 33,000 people who have a burning passionate love for the same place I do. And that is pretty powerful.

Nothing and nobody can prepare you for college no matter where it is, so why not take that leap of faith?

Whether you’re reading this because you’re making your college decision, or you’ve come across this by chance (or my shameless plugs on social media), consider the risk and weigh the reward. Leave everything you've ever known. It’ll be the best decision you'll ever make.